Don't Let the Playboy Speak

One by one, the asteroids were modified, inscribed, and then sent into orbit around the red dwarf star. Xiang Qian consciously broke down the complete line patterns, inscribing only a portion of the design at a time to distinguish the function of each individual line.

The operating mechanism of the Gem Force Field was vastly different from any academic discipline on Earth; it was, however, somewhat similar to those legendary magical runes. Yet, within the knowledge systems of the mysterious powers of Kunlun and Kamar-Taj that Xiang Qian had encountered, he could find no similar data.

What Xiang Qian wanted to do was to thoroughly analyze the principles of the Gem Force Field rather than just follow the instructions by rote. For now, he had no choice but to use this clumsy method to start from scratch.

"Energy resonates within a portion of the lines, and the force field generated by this resonance in turn captures more energy to enter the field. The function of this specific set of lines is to acquire the initial impetus to start the force field," Xiang Qian pondered silently while recording his findings.

"Although it can absorb most types of energy, it is most efficient at absorbing thermal radiation. If the initial impetus is thermal radiation energy, the startup time is at least twice as fast as with other energies, and the storage method is also fixed to thermal radiation energy within a certain frequency range. No wonder this gem's external manifestation is the manipulation of fire... Hmm?"

Immersed in exploration and discovery, Xiang Qian was suddenly startled by a heart-stopping power. He looked up abruptly, casting his gaze toward a corner of the dark void with a solemn expression.

A powerful outsider was resonating with his soul and attempting to break into his mental domain.

A dazzling spot of light appeared abruptly in Xiang Qian's field of vision. The shining light spread outward, and the expanding glow gradually formed the shape of a phoenix with wings spread wide. A figure emerged within the light.

Xiang Qian relaxed.

The light faded and the figure took shape; it was a Western woman with a graceful physique. She wore long, fiery red hair, and her features possessed the chiseled lines of a marble sculpture, which gave her expression a three-dimensional, cold, and dangerous allure.

This red-haired woman looked to be in her thirties—for an exceptional woman, this is the age where inner and outer beauty are perfectly unified, radiating charm from the inside out. When her gaze fell upon Xiang Qian, her phoenix eyes shimmered with flowing light. Though she said nothing, she exuded a seductive charm unique to lovers.

She was Phoenix, Jean Grey, a member of the X-Men and one of the most famous mutants in the world.

"Jean, why are you here?" Xiang Qian revealed a lover's gentle smile.

Jean's voice was firm, but her tone was soft and sweet when speaking to Xiang Qian: "Not welcome?"

"How could that be?" Xiang Qian flew toward her, closing the distance until they were closer than normal social etiquette allowed. "I'm just a bit surprised. When did you become able to resonate directly with my soul, and even enter my mental domain at will?"

Jean smiled and said, "I couldn't do it alone. Professor Xavier is helping me."

"Professor." Xiang Qian's gaze flickered. "So he helped you open a door—inside my head?"

Jean caught the subtle shift in Xiang Qian's tone. She couldn't help but giggle, wrapping her arms around Xiang Qian's neck. "Don't worry, you suspicious little man. Didn't the Professor say that your brainwaves are too strong and unique for anyone to pry into your thoughts? He can't either. The Professor only pinpointed your location and sent me in by following the mental resonance frequency left behind when you brought me in last time. I couldn't have entered without your permission."

"That's not necessarily true. I've always felt that old men with bald heads aren't to be trusted; they are as brilliant as they are lawless." Xiang Qian enjoyed the Phoenix's embrace while wrapping his arms around her slender waist. "When it comes to prying into others' thoughts, Professor Xavier has never been one to show restraint—and I'm not the only one who has said so."

When he mentioned "brilliant" and "lawless," Xiang Qian automatically switched from English to his native tongue.

Jean opened her beautiful phoenix eyes in surprise. "That's strange. I know you're speaking your native language, but I can actually understand it and grasp the meaning perfectly, even the ill-intentioned parts."

"Honey, have you forgotten? We are currently in the world of soul and thought," Xiang Qian said, smiling as he stroked her soft waist. "Here, we communicate directly through thought. The actions you see with your eyes and the words you hear with your ears are actually manifestations formed by the subconscious, based on the fixed impressions of how we interact in the real world."

Xiang Qian pulled one hand away to press it against Jean's heart. "In fact, every word we speak during our conversation comes from the heart and is transmitted directly into the other's soul. The voice you hear is just something your subconscious conjures up to fit your behavioral habits in reality."

Jean pressed her hand against the one Xiang Qian had placed on her chest with a playful smile. "So, are you trying to say that your actions are also something I'm imagining, and that you didn't actually do them?"

"Ahem... to a certain extent, I didn't. I only thought about it in my consciousness." Xiang Qian shamelessly kept his hand where it was. "Actually, even our appearances in this mental world are virtual constructs of the subconscious. If you observe carefully, you'll realize these are the most perfect versions of ourselves in our subconscious, but they differ from reality."

Xiang Qian looked at the Phoenix with a beaming smile. "You haven't realized it yet, but your hairstyle and the clothes you're wearing right now are likely your favorite styles, which are definitely different from what you're wearing in the real world."

Jean noticed her attire and let out a surprised gasp. "It really is true. I didn't notice it last time."

"Last time?" Xiang Qian gave a strange, wicked grin. "That's because the subconscious is often linked to reality. The moment you enter this domain, your state in reality heavily influences your subconscious. I remember that the last time you came in, just like in reality, you weren't wearing..."

"James!" Jean shouted Xiang Qian's English name in embarrassment and annoyance.

"I was just trying to give you an example you've experienced yourself," Xiang Qian explained with a straight face. "It's normal that you didn't notice the influence of your subconscious at the time. If I recall correctly, your emotions were rather... well... wild? Okay, okay! We were both quite wild at the time..."

Jean was both embarrassed and annoyed, her face burning as if she wanted to summon the Phoenix Force to burn the little man before her—along with this entire soul domain—to ashes.

Jean pinched Xiang Qian's palm hard, pouting coquettishly. "Then tell me, what is the difference between the 'me' here and the 'me' in reality? One is true, one is real—which one do you like better?"

"I can't tell the difference, honey." For an ordinary man, this would be a death trap, but for a playboy, it was an easy question. "Whether true or real, the charm you radiate is always one of a kind."

Watching the shimmering light in Jean's eyes, where the tangled desire was almost overflowing, Xiang Qian quickly steered the conversation back to the main point. "You just said that the Professor sent you to find me? By the way, the Professor checked your memories of the last time you entered this domain, so doesn't that mean he saw everything that happened, both in reality and here?"